Dual Fates
by CataclysmicReality
Summary: AU, the cards have yet to appear in Tomoeda, Syaoran is now 15 and dying. The cause is unknown and there is no known cure. As his life force continues to slip away there is only one choice left, but will it save him or leave him with a harsher fate?
1. Sickness

Dual Fates

Summary:

AU, the cards have yet to appear in Tomoeda and Syaoran is now 15 years old and dying. The cause is unknown and the doctors do not know how to treat him. As his life force continues to mysteriously slip away the Li Clan becomes determined that a new magical power is needed to save him, but will it, or will a harsher fate await him?

Chapter 1: **Sickness**

Syaoran sat completely still in a cross-legged style, hands relaxed by his abdomen with his palms up and fingers slightly curled. For every breath he took there was no movement, even nothing on the exhale. Even behind his closed eyelids his eyes did nothing but stare deep into the darkness. It was the condition needed for complete bodily control.

After the control of the body, the spirit was next to calm, and from the spirit the elements would follow. To feel nature and to track its pulses, the flow of the auras of everything around him were vivid in the morning air though the true nature was past the halls and out the closed doors of the training hall. But to know the existence of something that couldn't be felt directly was as simple as the mere thought of it. Yet just that alone wouldn't reach to the magic within him.

Upon his palms were weighed the traces of energy. Like a balance, he would steady their presence and anchor the energy with that of the energy behind his navel. From the anchor and the balance, he would link the points of the sternum, the heart, Adam's apple, chin, and nose in to the collective point of the top of the triangle before channeling the energies of the third eye and crown of his head into a radiant cascade around him. To feel the power as it flowed like a fountain and to absorb the elements of the natural world… to understand without seeing. This was the basic fundamentals of bodily energy.

The world of magic wasn't so different, but with greater concentration higher amounts and purities could be established within the dominant system. Once established here, to use at any time was as simple as flipping an inner switch. Simple…

He faltered slightly as the first of the warning signs swept his body. The fountain of energy slowed.

_No…_

The first wave of nausea had washed over him, but he ignored it. He was too close to the strengthening to stop now.

He grimaced slightly as a fiery pain encircled his lungs and squeezed his heart – interfering with the power flow.

_No, no!_

Finally a familiar feeling of a hardened bubble traveled upward in his throat, but he did not acknowledge it. He was so close now he could feel the strengthening beginning to work. He—

Suddenly Syaoran's eyes flew open as his body lurched forward, the blood that had traveled the length of his throat now sprayed outward on the forcibly expelled air from his clogging lungs. Being too severe to recover from moderately, he collapsed into a fit of coughing as he attempted to keep the blood within by covering his mouth with his hand. With his concentration now thoroughly destroyed there was little point to trying to resume his energy rite.

Having heard the commotion from the outside, a number of servants and lesser clan members burst into the room in an attempt to help their suffering young master and leader.

After just a few moments his mother appeared in front of him, wearing an expressionless face but her eyes betraying her by shattering her mask of seriousness in exchange for one of concern.

"Syaoran, my son." She said calmly and in a voice that did not betray her. "How long this time?"

Syaoran, having been brought to his feet now gave the signal that he would stand upon his own feet and proceeded to wipe the blood from his mouth as he regarded his mother before him. He swayed for no more than a second before regaining his unwavering stance.

"Less than five minutes. Closer to strengthening but still too distant." He said with annoyance for his inability.

"I see." Said Yelan as she looked over her son of fifteen years. There was a touch of disappointment with her words. "Then it is useless for you to stay here." She looked away and spoke firmly. "Follow me."

Syaoran looked down at his shaking, blood-covered hand and cursed his situation silently.

"Of course, honored mother."

Finished with both speech and thought, he followed her from the room and fell to his silence.

*****

After having been cleaned of his blood, Syaoran now stood with his bare chest to the air and his arms out to the side. The doctor tending to him was a specialist in both the modern and ancient medical arts, especially suited for magical study. He had long been with the Li clan and had taken care of many patients and was more or less Syaoran's doctor. However, since an unknown occurrence of five years ago, his analysis was always the same.

No, it was getting worse.

"How is it, Doctor?" Syaoran asked as polite as he could muster. "Are there any changes at all?" He lowered his arms and began to replace his shirt.

The doctor looked at Syaoran with blank eyes. There really was no point but to tell the results directly. He sighed slightly before speaking.

"In all honesty there is a lot of change… in the negative. Your condition has been consistent in its deterioration. I'm afraid to say that there is little you can do but try not to evoke your magical ability, but that is an impossibility in itself."

"So," Syaoran began, "it's like that. Figures." He found the nearest seat and sat down.

Ignoring his patient for the moment the doctor's gaze shifted to the mother. She was a proud woman and a figurehead of the clan as the young leader has grown, but the health has weighed heavily upon them both. He knew that her mask was only destined to break apart completely as the emotions became too overwhelming. After all, she was faced with a dying son.

"Then," Yelan started uncertain, "if he were to avoid using magic we could at least stabilize him temporarily until a treatment could be found?"

The doctor exhaled softly. This had been a question he had expected but wished not to answer.

"There's no guarantee in that either, rather it is impossible." He began.

"Unfortunately, as the Li clan is a magical one, staying away from the essence of their being is nearly impossible—but there is little doubt that it is the magic within your son's body that is responsible for his continued decline." The doctor said solemnly as he did his best to avoid the young man's hardened eyes before him. "I'm afraid to say that we still don't know the exact cause or details surrounding his ailment. I am also ashamed to report that there is nothing modern medical science can do for him. Even with the ancient arts integrated into the present there is no remedy."

There was a disheartened noise from his mother as she tried to maintain her composure and express motherly concern as well. Her eyes moved from Syaoran's down heartened figure to the doctor and across the various cabinets and shelves of the latest in medical advancements, before settling on the doctor once more. Seemingly convinced of her words she narrowed her eyes and asked in a formal manner of superiority.

"Is there nothing that can be done? For the sole heir of the clan to simply be diagnosed with the same prognosis consistently for five years is a bit of a stretch of the imagination. Are there really no other options that could save his life?"

"That…" the doctor seemed to carefully consider Yelan's words as well as his response. "There is one thing that could serve a purpose. If the cause is magic, then the solution could be magic as well. More specifically the fortification of his magical structure." He finished as he laid his clipboard on the counter and extracted a small book from the shelf.

"As I have said before, the local remedies are likely to fail, but a powerful magical strength that already carries a sample of the clan's sorcery imbedded within its structure would have a high possibility. While it is safe to say that there are many smaller artifacts and items that could be acquired locally, there is a much more suitable power that would work best." He stopped at a page and looked up.

"The Clow Cards." Yelan supplied.

"Yes," he affirmed, "more specifically the Tome of Clow that holds the cards as well as the guardians. Its power would more than suffice to repair and—"

"Ha!" Syaoran interrupted with annoyance. "The Tome of Clow! Even were the book to reveal itself with the cards at all, then there would be less of a problem in locating it, but that I should attempt to seize the power in my condition? What insanity! I can't even hold an aura let alone capture a card crafted for destruction." He cursed his own weakness silently, but there was no sense to deny the truth. He might as well die on foreign soil before finding even a trace of Clow's magic.

"That is also true." Remarked the doctor as he closed the small book in his hands. There was a worried expression that had crossed his brow as his mouth opened to speak. "Though I was hesitant to mention it, there is one option left to us…"

"What is?" Syaoran asked with annoyed interest.

"It can't be… you don't mean, that!?" Yelan uttered with surprised.

The doctor put the book back on its shelf and walked over to a plain spot of counter top and placed his hand underneath, before extracting an old scroll from a hidden place. He then walked it back to Syaoran and held it out for him.

"What's that?" Syaoran asked crossed. The old parchment had a series of ancient Chinese symbols on it that were far outdated from the modern standard.

"Open it and you will see. I don't recommend it, but it is your life that you wish to keep for however long you can preserve it, or risk it all on something that may only kill you faster when you do obtain it. Either way, it is your choice."

"What is?" Syaoran asked with more interest than before.

"That is…" the doctor looked faint, "the thing that may save you or damn you sooner… the Cursed Blade of Dual Fates!"


	2. Before the Rite

Chapter 2: **Before the Rite**

"The Cursed Blade of Dual Fates…" Syaoran repeated to himself softly. "What is it exactly?"

"That is…" Yelan began, less composed than before, "the Dual Fates is a mystic blade that only those of a certain aptitude are able to touch, let alone wield. It is a sacred blade that has transcended the slopes of time at the Li clan's side from the very beginning and will continue to the end. It is not a blade for just anyone." She looked at the scroll in her son's hand with apprehension. "I do not know if any have been worthy to wield it… let alone have had the bravery to try."

"But without it I am destined to die?" Syaoran asked with a serious tone. He looked down to the scroll in his hand. "And this thing is a map that will take me to it?" He smiled with genuine feelings for the first time in a long duration. "Well then… is this map all I need? Or is there something else that I need?"

"You aren't—?" Yelan started before seeing the look on her son's face.

"It sounds like fun." Syaoran said with a smirk.

*****

As Syaoran donned the ceremonious robes meant for the rite of passage before him, his mind reflected upon the various conversations and discussions that had led to this point. As it turned out, the thing in his hand wasn't a map but a set of instructions to be implemented by the clan elders to provide him with the specifics surrounding the task before him. But retrieving it wasn't to be as easy.

Fortunately the sword was within the bounds of the estate so he didn't have to worry about a journey, but it was sealed deep beneath the earth in a labyrinth of challenges and tests that limited the wielder to only those worthy of passing the test of time. Apparently the mission wasn't as simple as running in and grabbing it, and required a starting requirement and a finishing necessity. He was to start at dawn or twilight and reach his intended destination—the Dual Fates—at the following twilight or dawn, before he was to re-emerge before the peak of midnight or noon.

It was a confusing assortment of specifications, but made sense when he was told that the nature of the blade itself rested on a principle of balance between light and darkness, or more specifically the sun, moon, and night. That so long as the sun shone on the moon, the moon would be seen to the eyes of humans upon the earth, but should the light vanish then the moon would be reclaimed by the darkness. The same held true with the sun in that it would shine upon the Earth everyday save for when it was covered by the moon. In essence the moon itself was not a representative of the night, but an ambassador between the light and the darkness. The moon was the key to the balance of power.

Syaoran frowned as he looked at his hands. His balance in power was because of his celestial span between light and darkness. He wasn't sure why it was only him, but a greater force had interfered with the natural flow of nature and left him on his own. A moon without darkness in which to shine, and a reflector devoid of a light source… and that was why he felt that the only true means to restoration was from the power of both, which resided within the blade of the Dual Fates.

"Syaoran…?"

Syaoran looked up towards the source of the uncertain voice that had called from the doorway of his chambers. The girl that came forward in the response of his silence was a meek but attractive figure of his age and that was of his blood. His cousin and one-time fiancée, Meiling. When he had contracted his illness he had forcibly broken the loose engagement to preserve her chance of a life of happiness with another. Though she couldn't find fault in the logic to protest, he wondered if she didn't still harbor feelings for him beyond sympathy.

"Yes, Meiling. What is it?" He asked in a stern manner. She quailed slightly but still came forward.

"Your mother has sent for you." She said with downcast eyes and a timid mannerism. "The elders are ready to begin the unsealing rite."

Syaoran glanced to acknowledge her presence, if only loosely, but her eyes were turned away so he did not bother but to respond loudly and indignantly.

"That's good that they didn't choose to drag this out at an insufferable pace any longer—I may just die before I even get to the right location!"

"That's—!" Meiling started as she looked up to protest his words when she corrected her self and fell quiet with her eyes down to the floor. "It… isn't good to say such things. We all hope the best of the rite and of its effects, but we fear the results should the curse carry a realistic edge." She said in a softer voice.

"Well," Syaoran said briskly as he started to walk past, briefly setting his hand upon her shoulder. "It's good that you care, thank you." She started to brighten slightly up to when he withdrew his hand and proceeded through the door. "But it's better that you forget about me, either way."

As his footsteps began to fade Meiling's eyes began to moisten with tears.

"I can't do that… idiot."

*****

When Syaoran entered the preparation room he was surprised to find that it was only him, his mother, and an elder that occupied it. He had expected with such an ordeal there would be more. The elder and his mother seemed to be talking about something but broke off when he appeared before them. The elder approached Syaoran.

"You… are ready to partake of the rite of the Dual Fates?"

Syaoran gave a sharp nod. "I am."

The elder looked grave, but accepted the response.

"Then let us go, to initiate the Rite of Passage."


	3. First Rite, Trial of Night

Chapter 3: **First Rite, Trial of Night**

Syaoran had followed, been escorted, prepared and arranged until less than an hour later he stood before a pair of un-impressive wooden doors at the opening of a small cavern in the side of a less-than-notable hillside.

On the doors there was no indication of anything special past them, and they looked so ancient that their level of decay signified nothing save a hastened return to nature should they simply touch the ground. His excitement that had sired a form of hope seemed dashed. His only lasting desire was that the preparation wasn't false hype to give him an infliction of emotion and cause to venture outward in the world. Although nothing would please him more than to get out of the imprisoned feel of his home environment, he knew that he would only find his death that much sooner.

He looked at the special watch that had been given to him. It had been specifically synchronized with the times corresponding to the day markers so he would have a much better chance at seizing the blade within the time frame he needed to. To think that the older trials had to be run with the various now-overgrown light shafts attached to the magical markers inside. Even the most proficient at ancient time tracking would be faced with difficulty.

Although, even with the watch he wasn't safe. There was still the matter of what lay in wait.

Suddenly an unseen force caused the doors to shift slightly, creating a ripple of energy that preceded a small cascade of dirt as the doors cleared themselves. Magical swirls of light patterns appeared where none were before on the face on a material that now bore a closer affinity to metal than the decaying wood of before. It must have been part of the unsealing ritual the elders had invoked.

Syaoran glanced at his watch uncertainly. It was within the time of twilight, something the various symbols and barred circles upon the door seemed to represent, as they slowly matched with one another, causing the door to make a painfully slow unlocking sound.

Abruptly the sound ended and a silence claimed the remaining seconds of time on the watch, until finally the doors burst open and allowed Syaoran passage to the depths.

Without thinking about what awaited, he plunged himself into the darkness and took to the stairs that awaited him, and descended into the deep earth.

*****

Not far from the now closed doors Syaoran had just passed through, his mother and an elder stared out into the sunset with a somber atmosphere.

"What happens now?" Yelan asked as she turned to the elder. "I know little other than the blade is cursed and better not to approach. What trials await him, and what will he have to do for that length of time? Surely not battle or complex logic puzzles?"

"Fortunately the trial is less on one's logic than the conditions of the blade. Only those that have the fortitude and determination can reach it and escape with it in a timely fashion." The elder said softly before looking to the ground. "Regrettably, the conditions rest on the prolonged use of the body… and that is where the boy is failing. To choose the method of the Dual Fates was more than just risky, it was foolishness beyond all compare."

Yelan's face betrayed nothing, but her eyes looked grave.

"Is that so?"

There was silence as the colder winds began to blow in as the last of day's light trickled beneath the reach of the horizon.

*****

Syaoran felt a strange sensation wash across his senses as he left the last of the long stairs behind him and entered into a small stone passage. Magical symbols of lights marked the path before him, glowing with the same frequency as those he witnessed upon the entrance within. They seemed to be the guide of this place, so he continued to follow them where they led, until finally the passage died and a great expanse of darkness overwhelmed him with the feeling of abyss.

Just as suddenly, the lights from the passage behind him vanished as well, sealing him into the darkness. Was this the symbol that night had begun? He looked around blindly as his eyes adjusted to a minute light source in a far off location. Having not recognized anything that might be a void within his path forward, he moved towards it expecting something of familiarity. Sure enough, his senses weren't wrong. The light was like what had led him here.

Seeming to understand at least that much, he ran his hand across the weird symbols as they moved to his movement. It didn't make sense. What was the point of the reds and blues it consisted of?

Using his other hand, he moved the light in a configuration he had seen on the doors. If it was as he expected, then that was the model for the challenge. At last, using both hands, he got the bars, circles, and other symbols to match up.

Much like before, there was an unlocking sound, and then the magic died altogether, and everything went black.

For a moment, a touch of fear worked into his conscious mind and he began to panic, but it quickly subsided as a resounding unlatching sounded in the darkness, and the light came back—not of the key beneath his figures, but at a place from above him. It was small, and he had no clue how he was to climb the wall in the darkness when around light lit on the other side and another beside it. Again and again, the blue lights came into being and continued in a line down both sides of the nothingness and into a length expanse.

Then, the dull light magnified and spread, until he found himself standing at the edge of an illuminated entrance to a maze, and one that stretched far into the distance of a cavern that must have been made of either illusion of special distortion. Either way, he was stuck to it now.

It seems as though the Trial of the Night, with him being shown the way with the blue light symbolic of the night and the symbolic moons on the walls as the source had just begun. He figured he had to prepare himself for the long night ahead. He only hoped that he had the ability to master the key lights and survive the endurance to the goal that he had to reach by dawn.

Although this was only the beginning, he had somehow felt as though he had made the first step to the end.


End file.
